KONY 2012 Inspires Students to Take Action

With over 64 million views on YouTube in the first week of its introduction, the short film, “KONY 2012,” has swept the internet through various outlets of social media. But this leaves a lot of people wondering: What exactly is KONY 2012? Produced by Invisible Children, the YouTube page defines “KONY 2012” as “a film and campaign by Invisible Children that aims to make Joseph Kony famous, not to celebrate him, but to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice.” Joseph Kony is the head of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda, and was indicted for war crimes in 2005. He’s been evading capture since.

The movement has inspired some students, like Devon Powell, freshman Business Administration. “I feel that it’s wrong, and I feel that if it was happening in America it would be so big. But since it’s in Uganda, a third world country, nobody even cares. And I feel as America, one of the most powerful nations, we can go over there and at least help. All they’re asking for is people to come over and advise,” said Powell. “I think the US should get involved,” said Jesse Elmore, an Individual Studies freshman. Other students want to initiate their own movements locally, like Destinie Allen, freshman Nutritional Science. “I support it because… it’s children. It’s kids. People ask, ‘Why are we supporting it?’… I’ve heard ‘The US has its own problems,’ I’ve heard, ‘It doesn’t really matter because it’s been going on for this long,’” said Allen, “I’m going to be taking up donations, making T-shirts, passing out flyers…just doing what I can.”

However, some students don’t think the fame Joseph Kony is receiving is appropriate, like Josh Atherley, freshman Business Administration. “We should not make him famous…but either way news is news…. It’s bad publicity, maybe good for him, but it shouldn’t be something supported or looked up to,” said Atherley. Powell said, “I believe by making him famous, more people will know about him and by more people knowing about him, the people who actually care and want to change this will make their effort to do so.”

Students like Syndi Demers, senior Finance and Management, see the campaign in a different light altogether.
“Why should we get involved when we have the same problems, (not to the same extent), here…I mean let there be awareness, just don’t spend money that we don’t have,” said Demers. “I understand we have our own problems we need to attend to in America, but it won’t hurt us in any way to lend a helping hand to Africa.